The death count continues to rise

In my Disability Arts on Line (DAO) blog this week I am looking at the large number of deaths that have arisen amongst disabled people who have been part of the ATOS Healthcare’s Work Capability Assessment process.

The total of 10,600 is a figure that has been released by the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) last week when responding to a freedom of information based enquiry. This is for the period January to November 2011 and averages out to over 70 deaths per week during this period.

Now it could be argued that some of these deaths, let’s be generous and say half, are to be expected as many of the people claiming benefits could be seriously ill or disabled in a way that may result in an early death. But even allowing for this, it is now estimated that some 35 of these deaths per week are as a direct result of people being subject to the actual stress of the assessment process.

In the DAO blog I also include some figures taken from a recent survey amongst GPs in the UK. The survey shows that a percentage of these deaths are as a result of suicide as some disabled people are unable to face the draconion measures that are being employed by ATOS Healthcare.

When I’ve mentioned this to non-disabled people I meet their response is one of disbelief. Surely, they say, such a high amount of deaths would be making headline news in the newspapers and on television?

So, why isn’t it making headline news? If 35 disabled people were shot every week by the government there would be a public outcry and people would demand to know what was happening.

Or would they? After all we’re only disabled people!

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8 responses to this post.

Martin P Foster via FaceBook
The Tory government is not bothered if people have their dignity in tact in the final weeks and months of life, as long as the government is saving money they are happy.
The government is happy to give big companies lots money and the unemployed to work for free, but when it comes to disabled people, the Tories want them to suffer obviously, I bet they have a big old chuckle about it to themselves…
Cameron has to be the most evil politician of British history, in my opinion he is a human disgrace…

Linden Lynn via FaceBook
These stats are appalling. It is horrific that the most vulnerable are experiencing such draconian and unacceptable experiences and attitudes. Thanks for posting. I admit I didn’t know. Having undergone two such assessments in the past when I was feeling desperately ill and like a horrific burden to the world . my sympathies go out to all undergoing such euphemistically called ‘assessments’

Even after several years of campaigning and raising awareness, and encountering the wall of ‘blissful ignorance’ which people unaffected live behind, I am still astounded by the apathy of the British public when these figures are openly published.

How would society feel if we culled a non disbled person for every second person that dies as a result if the capability assessment process. Perhaps we should start with the unemployed who are too lazy to work because they are so rich they don’t have to but feel its ok to rant about the unemployed who cant afford to go to work because the minimum wage is so laughable